The Chainlink

North Riverside: Harlem & Cermak--Bike Crash This Morning?

As I was getting ready for work around 5:30 this morning, WBBM-AM radio was announcing a car-bike crash at Harlem/Cermak with "a mangled bicycle" at the scene. If anyone lives out that way, do you have any further news?  Is the cyclist OK?

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on April 3, 2013 at 10:15am

Sun-Times reports that the bicyclist died.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/19247649-418/report-bicyclist-st...

Thanks to StreetsBlog for their daily headlines, where I first saw this reported

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on April 3, 2013 at 10:48am

Thanks, Duppie & Crafty.  I had done a search of the Tribune & Google News and found nothing.  My worst fears are confirmed with the report of the fatality. RIP, unnamed cyclist.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 3, 2013 at 12:29pm

Cyclist name now listed in both stories.

Wouldn't the driver of "the vehicle" know whether s/he hit a pedestrian or a cyclist?

Permalink Reply by Mando on April 3, 2013 at 12:55pm

Something really needs to be done about this intersection. I have lived in the area my entire life and you always hear (at least once a year) of someone getting killed. The bus stops need to be removed, improved (brightness) street lights at night and strict enforcement of pedestrians and cyclists to use the pedestrian crossing sections by the traffic lights.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 3, 2013 at 12:58pm

I wouldn't disagree, having just crossed that intersection on foot about 6 weeks ago (from the NE corner to the SW corner) but it doesn't seem that the victim was close enough to the intersection for its design to be much of a factor in his death.

Mando said:

Something really needs to be done about this intersection. I have lived in the area my entire life and you always hear (at least once a year) of someone getting killed. The bus stops need to be removed, improved (brightness) street lights at night and strict enforcement of pedestrians and cyclists to use the pedestrian crossing sections by the traffic lights.

Permalink Reply by Mando on April 3, 2013 at 1:35pm

This happened just south of the Harlem and Cermak intersection at 23rd and Harlem. The best thing the city of North Riverside/Berwyn could do to help prevent this from happening is improving the street lights. That section is just very dark at night. If this happened at 3:25 am, the lack of light was probably a major factor in the cause of the accident. In the video you can see where the accident happened, you can see the bike and a lot of debris (probably groceries); likely the cyclist had just left the 24hr Jewell and was crossing over to Berwyn when he was struck by the car. This is horrible and like I said ever since I was in H.S. you would hear of someone getting hit by a bus or a car in that section of Harlem.

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on April 4, 2013 at 12:27pm

I feel for the family of the cyclist. R.I.P.

 

So, the accident happened at 4 am....I just have a few questions.....was the bicyclist running lights (flashing/blinking, steady, etc), was the cyclist cutting through traffic without using hand/arm signals? Was the cyclist wearing reflective safety vest or belt, or any reflective clothing?

I couldn't see the video, but were the items strewn on the ground in a basket/pannier? front or back? Were they obstructing the cyclist view?

These are all things that we should be thinking about as 2nd nature, especially as cyclists.

I don't care if your bike is painted white with white rims and tires. We sometimes blend in with the passing background (even me, with all of my flasing lights...I end up being "lost" in the background of certain areas that have a bunch of window displays with neon or blinking lights).

Also, as most of you know, we are almost invisible to people in cars, unless we are showing movement (at night, when this happened, reflectors/lights/etc).

We have to be cognizant of all of this, because we can not even rely on the general public to check their side view mirrors before opening their car doors. How can we expect them to be aware of a cyclist, while they are driving (and usually talking or texting on their cell)?

 

Again, I am sorry for this cyclist and his family.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

Permalink Reply by Duppie on April 4, 2013 at 12:54pm

A bicyclist/pedestrian does get killed, and without waiting the details we conclude that enforcement of crosswalk use need to be increased.

Nice job of putting the blame directly at pedestrians and cyclists. Maybe you should ask whether he was wearing a helmet too and blame him if he wasn't.

How about enforcing drivers not blowing red lights, drivers not exceeding the speed limit, and drivers not using their cell-phone while driving. You think any of those could have prevented the unnecessary death of this human being?

Mando said:

Something really needs to be done about this intersection. I have lived in the area my entire life and you always hear (at least once a year) of someone getting killed. The bus stops need to be removed, improved (brightness) street lights at night and strict enforcement of pedestrians and cyclists to use the pedestrian crossing sections by the traffic lights.

Permalink Reply by Mando on April 4, 2013 at 5:03pm

Did you even read what I said? Or did you just rant to try to get a fight started? In my opinion AND because I LIVE in the area AND both ride my bike and drive through there every day I said the MAIN culprit is the lighting because it’s really dark there at 3-4 in the morning. The city needs to fix this.

 

I also said it was terrible this poor man was killed. However just because I ride a bike I’m not going to act like a bike fan-boy and say that bike riders are saints. He DID need to use the intersection and drivers do NEED to be careful when they drive through there and they should do all the things you mentioned drivers should do.

 

See I can acknowledge the good ideas you have. Can you acknowledge that bike riders should be more careful on the streets? That they should follow the rules of the road just like any other vehicle? Apparently not. Anytime a bike rider blows through a red light or breaks the rules of the road it gives us (bike riders) a bad name.

 

I’ll make it simple for you: everyone involved (the city, the car driver and the bike rider) share the reason as to why this happened. It is terrible the bike rider died and that is a HUGE reason why the suggestions I made would be useful in preventing more accidents. His death should not be in vain.



Duppie 13.5185km said:

A bicyclist/pedestrian does get killed, and without waiting the details we conclude that enforcement of crosswalk use need to be increased.

Nice job of putting the blame directly at pedestrians and cyclists. Maybe you should ask whether he was wearing a helmet too and blame him if he wasn't.

How about enforcing drivers not blowing red lights, drivers not exceeding the speed limit, and drivers not using their cell-phone while driving. You think any of those could have prevented the unnecessary death of this human being?

Mando said:

Something really needs to be done about this intersection. I have lived in the area my entire life and you always hear (at least once a year) of someone getting killed. The bus stops need to be removed, improved (brightness) street lights at night and strict enforcement of pedestrians and cyclists to use the pedestrian crossing sections by the traffic lights.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 4, 2013 at 5:06pm

Would be nice if nobody would post the victim's name to this thread, so the victim's friends/family don't have to wade through an internet screaming match when they search for information.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on April 4, 2013 at 5:20pm

You totally undermine your credibility when you spout nonsense like this. 

Mando said:

...

Anytime a bike rider blows through a red light or breaks the rules of the road it gives us (bike riders) a bad name.

...

Permalink Reply by Mando on April 4, 2013 at 7:20pm

Then be my guest and blow through red lights, let me know how my credibility holds up vs. 3000 lbs. traveling at 40 mph.



Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:

You totally undermine your credibility when you spout nonsense like this. 

Mando said:

...

Anytime a bike rider blows through a red light or breaks the rules of the road it gives us (bike riders) a bad name.

...

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